With rising temps creating extensive meltwater ponds in the local farm fields, a substantial influx of waterfowl has materialized north of Newmarket over the past 48 hours. At the north end of Bathurst Street near Holland Landing (less than a minute's drive from where the Great Gray Owl had been a few weeks ago), there were over 600 NORTHERN PINTAIL today, 30 TUNDRA SWANS (I had 37 yesterday), 50+ RING-NECKED DUCKS, 6 WOOD DUCKS, 8 AMERICAN WIGEON, 2 REDHEADS, 4 BLACK DUCKS, and 6 GREEN-WINGED TEAL. Canada Geese and Mallards, needless to say, are ubiquitous. These birds can be seen by scoping the fields on the west side of Bathurst Street just north of where the last woodlot ends. As of today it was still possible to drive the length of nearby Hochreiter Road for much better looks at these birds but conditions along that narrow lane are deteriorating rapidly and I would not advise trying it unless you have an adventurous spirit and 4-wheel drive. For what it's worth, I have been walking in (approx. 1.5 kms.) rather than risk getting stuck or turning my van into a mud vessel. Yesterday at dusk Bruce Brydon had the first AMERICAN WOODCOCK of the year for this region. It was doing its classic "dance of the timberdoodle" just north of Silver Lakes Golf Course in Holland Landing. Bruce observed a male EASTERN BLUEBIRD singing north of where Morning Sdrd. meets Bathurst St. in NW Newmarket on Sunday. On March 9 Al Johnston of Whitchurch-Stouffville (east of Aurora) had a pair of HOODED MERGANSERS and a pair of WOOD DUCKS at the pond on his Bethesda Rd. property. On March 12 he had the first KILLDEER of the spring; it was the vanguard for numerous others that have shown up across the region each day since then. Though not a spring arrival, Al's observation of a COMMON RAVEN on March 9 reinforces the idea that a small flock of this species is still doing well since moving into the area several years back (they were confirmed nesters in the North Tract during the last Breeding Bird Atlas). In another of the York Region forest tracts east of Hwy. 404 I encountered my first RED-SHOULDERED HAWK of the spring today. It was calling from the west side of Kennedy Road, about 1.5 kms south of St. John's Sdrd. I later observed a second Red-shoulder flying over the field and just inside the woods beside house #2660 Vandorf Sdrd. I hiked at three different forest tracts with my dog this morning (still lots of ice and snow in the shadowed woods!) and found them all to be busy with bird song. Along with the many chickadees and nuthatches there are still lots of Pine Siskins and, singing sweetly from invisible places, numerous BROWN CREEPERS. I also happened upon a pair of PILEATED WOODPECKERS working in tandem on some dead trees. Driving home around noon I had my first TURKEY VULTURES of the year, two of them tilting their way northward beside Leslie Street in the northeast part of Aurora. It's a great time of year to be a birder. Ron Fleming, Newmarket York Region is halfway between Toronto and Barrie. The places described here are just south of Lake Simcoe. For more specific directions e-mail privately. _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
